You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

The jade beads lit up with eerie light one after another, and the spiritual pressure emanating from the swordsman rose again, far exceeding the level of Kuchiki Ginryo. Even Iori couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

He released his grip, letting the giant sword glide past his body—an afterimage.

When Iori reappeared, she had moved behind the enemy. The swordsman, who had fallen into a frenzy, seemed to have greatly reduced his perception. He did not notice the spiritual pressure fluctuations that appeared so close by. He just released sharp sword pressure to the left and right as if venting his anger. Each slash was as powerful as a high-level Kido, and it was not to be underestimated.

If one can prevent the opponent's Bankai, possessing this Baku-yōdō (貘爻刀) can indeed give one an advantage over most captains.

—However, Iori is clearly not included in this category.

"The turbid emblems and unruly and arrogant talents are faintly revealed;"

"The back?"

Zheng!

The sword swept past Iori, leaving deep cracks in the ground, but it didn't stop Iori for even a moment.

"The surge, the denial, the paralysis—all in an instant, hindering eternal sleep;"

The sword pierced through the air, its cold blade heading straight for Iori's chest. However, a diamond-shaped shield, shimmering with a faint light, appeared and blocked it with a crisp clang.

Even in his frenzy, the swordsman paused for a moment, recognizing it as the most basic Binding Spell, "Repulsion," with a serial number of only eight. Yet, when used by Iori, it was able to block a captain-level slash.

With no time to express his feelings, the crimson wind pressure gathered again on the Baku Yao Blade, ready to unleash a tornado that would sweep away everything and engulf Iori!

But at that very moment, Iori calmly uttered the final incantation—

"...Recognize your own powerlessness!"

—【Hado No. 90: Black Coffin】!

hum!

The pitch-black spiritual pressure engulfed the swordsman like a tidal wave, forming a huge cube ten meters high, with sharp cross spikes protruding out, as if proclaiming that this was a cruel execution!

"Ahhhh!"

Amidst the whistling sounds of countless swords being wielded, the black cube vanished in an instant, and the armor on the swordsman shattered with a deafening crash, revealing numerous bloody wounds from which scalding liquid gushed forth.

"Aizen...Iori!"

"Huh?"

To Iori's astonishment, this man, having withstood the full incantation of the 90th Hado, hadn't fallen. Instead, he dragged his body, as if he had just rolled over a mountain of knives, towards Iori, gathering his Baku-Yao-Dao—

boom!

With a muffled thud, the sword stopped in mid-air, its sharp edge caught steadily by a hand. What seemed like an extremely dangerous moment was actually achieved by pinching the sword between the fingers, rather than using skin to actually block the blade.

But the fact that this move was successful means that Iori's strength far exceeds that of the swordsman!

"In the end, it's just a quick-made, superficial product." Iori said expressionlessly, her eyes calm and unwavering.

In the original work, Tenbei Shusuke once used the Baku Yaotō to put Yamamoto in a difficult situation, but that was because he himself was at the level of a mid-level captain, and then he specifically sealed the old man's Zanpakutō, and took advantage of the old man's missing arm and lack of murderous intent.

At this moment, Iori had no weaknesses, and the swordsman in front of her was far less powerful than Amagai later on; his original strength was probably only that of a vice-captain.

"How is this possible... This is the strongest Baku Yao Blade! Even if it's the captain's... I can't accept it! Aaaaaaah!"

Amidst the roar, the red gem on its shoulder emitted an eerie yet dazzling light—

"One bone."

A calm and unperturbed voice.

With his left hand gripping the blade and pulling it backward, he simultaneously stepped into a bow stance, channeling power through his entire body into his right fist, delivering a simple, straightforward, and unremarkable punch to the opponent's chest.

Bang! ! !

The surging spiritual energy exploded within the swordsman's body, as if resonating with hundreds of fist energies. His flesh and bones crumbled like a collapsing tower of blocks, and green orbs flew out in all directions.

A single punch caused the sternum to cave in, the force bursting through the body and smashing through a dilapidated building...

In a daze, the swordsman saw a precious pearl flash past his eyes, its clear and smooth surface flashing with light and shadow, which brought him back to some of his senses.

Looking back, my life has been full of sorrow.

When Sumari became independent, the Soul Core Technique was given to him as a gift... The head of Sumari's family at that time said that this was a divine technology that could change the Seireitei, and that as long as Sumari could achieve something in this field, he would be given a corresponding status.

Putting aside the grand promises made by Tsunayoshiro, Sumari's ancestors recognized the potential of this technology and continued to develop it generation after generation, finally completing the Bakuya-tō, a weapon that was even more "convenient" than the Zanpakutō.

It does not require knowing the true name to perform Shikai or Bankai, nor does it require mental or other training; even an ordinary soul can use it.

They absorb the spiritual power of their wielders to enhance their own strength. Once they reach a certain level, they can awaken supernatural abilities and can be specifically strengthened and cultivated, making their awakening more controllable than that of Zanpakuto.

The only drawback is that they are extremely "greedy" and will endlessly absorb spiritual energy. If the holder's spiritual energy is insufficient, they will eventually lose their own will, and their body will be devoured by the blade and disappear completely.

But as an exchange of power, this is a very fair and reasonable price to pay!

Compared to Zanpakuto whose true name may never be known, the Baku-yō-tō's growth rate is visible to the naked eye and requires no threshold. It may be a bit dangerous, but it is still extremely valuable.

Because if the original owner is killed, the Tapir Blade will detach from their body. And since this thing was not born from the Grim Reaper, it naturally will not disappear because of the owner's death.

The cultivated gem (spirit core) can be transplanted to other wounds and given to the next user!

So, if you want to obtain a powerful sword, just give it to those ordinary Shinigami and Rukongai souls that have little value, and let them become the nourishment for the sword!

With enough accumulation, it's not impossible to even mass-produce Bankai-level Bakuya swords!

The balance of the soul and spirit is indeed a problem, but as long as we "sustainably exhaust the resources," we can always find a way.

The Sumari family isn't just a bunch of cowards who talk the talk but don't walk the walk. In fact, each generation selects outstanding individuals to control those powerful spirit cores. Success is the best outcome, but if they suffer a backlash, the task is passed down to the next generation...

The number of tribesmen who have died on this site is now impossible to count.

But it is precisely because of such great sacrifices that the technology of the Baku Yao Blade has been gradually perfected, and today it can create powerful spirit cores comparable to those of captains who have been around for a hundred years!

By utilizing this technology to feed the Baku sword to ordinary Shinigami who have no hope of Shikai, the strength of the Gotei 13 will skyrocket... and even the entire Seireitei's operating system will undergo a major reshuffle.

However, all of this was rejected by Room 46!

The hard work of generations of Sumeru, the countless evil deeds committed for which caused immense suffering... all of this was negated by a single, casual judgment!

It's meaningless... Sumeru must admit that the Baku Yao Blade is meaningless, and then seal away the related technology forever!

...This was a rebellion that was destined to happen. They probably wanted to use this method to tell those guys that the Baku-yōtō was far superior to the Zanpakutō.

“You understand nothing…”

The swordsman lying in a pool of blood coughed up mouthfuls of blood: "Everything will change... as long as the Mo Yao Blade..."

It's unbearable to watch...

"He actually subdued the enemy with his bare hands," Kuchiki Ginrei said, his usually expressionless face showing emotion as he watched the scene unfold. "Aizen Iori... how old is she..."

"As expected of Iori!" Yoruichi Shihouin was thoroughly enjoying the performance, and Iori's strong and simple physical skills left a deep impression on her.

As for the ordinary soldiers? They were just watching the show.

"My Baoyu... come back! My Baoyu..."

"Still not giving up? The so-called Baku Yao Blade is just a biological weapon that devours the user's spiritual pressure to strengthen itself. They only bring consumption and destruction, and cannot build or protect—I think that's why the 46 Chambers sealed it away."

Iori remained calm and methodical, but even at this point, the swordsman on the ground was still muttering incessantly.

"Why refuse... all we need to do is feed a few savages from Rukongai... creating a seated officer-level one is a piece of cake..."

It was you, it was Room 46, it was Tsunayoshi… you betrayed us first!

The technology, obtained after the sacrifices of countless predecessors... So much effort was invested, and it was all ruined by just one sentence..."

"Still saying that? It seems your clan has indeed invested countless efforts in this and is very confident in it, but I still can't understand why you would do such a thing. Even if you can quickly create a batch of experts by destroying souls on such a large scale, what good will it do?"

"Now that you've attracted the attention of the Gotei 13, do you really think you can stand against the Seireitei on your own?"

"Don't use that tone... don't look at me so arrogantly..."

"The most arrogant emotion in the world is to believe, without any reason, that one is destined to achieve something in this world."

Iori looked down at him indifferently, her eyes filled with an almost pitying look.

"And the cruelest aspect of fate is that it makes ordinary people think that they are special."

"When did you begin to have the illusion that you could dominate the world?"

Chapter 236: Dragon and Tiger Meet, Qi Flows North and South (4K)

Ding!

[CG included]

The Sin of Pride

Category: Art Style

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……

Hado Chapter 54: Destroyed Flame!

boom!

A bright and scorching flame landed on the corpse and instantly enveloped and devoured it.

The Grim Reaper, clad in a white haori, looked down at the flames as they gradually turned everything within them to ashes. The flickering firelight reflected in his clear eyes, like the glow of sunset reflected on a lake.

"Wait... never mind."

Seeing this, Kuchiki Ginrei wanted to stop it, but after hesitating for a moment, he shook his head slightly and approved of Iori's actions.

When the wielder of the Baku Yao Blade is defeated and dies, he is usually devoured by the blade and leaves no trace of his body. However, Iori released Kido and wiped him and the "core" of the Baku Yao Blade from this world.

That's for the best. Things like this should be completely wiped out of the world, whether they are written materials or physical samples, especially "cores" that have been trained to the captain level. If they fall into the hands of people with evil intentions, they could easily cause great harm to the Soul Society.

Rather, it's more accurate to say that Iori's decisive choice to abandon and destroy the Baku-Yao sword, which could easily enhance his combat power and elevate him to a higher level, impressed Ginryo.

"Is that all?" Yoruichi asked Ginryo beside her.

At this moment, Iori spoke up and said, "It's not enough yet. Please, Yoruichi, mobilize more covert operations to completely control the surrounding streets and thoroughly search the mansion in Sumari. There must be a hidden room or secret passage inside."

For safety's sake, all the tapir-shaped knives must be destroyed!

And those that appeared in Rukongai…we need to inform the Captain-Commander and make the other divisions take this seriously.”

"You've thought of everything. I'll do as you say."

Yoruichi nodded in agreement, then sighed, "I wonder how many innocent souls will become victims of this turmoil."

"We came here to prevent more people from being harmed," Kuchiki Ginrei said, trying to comfort Yoruichi when he saw her dejected mood. "You stopped this from escalating, and you should be proud of that."

"That's right..."

"Don't worry, Captain Kuchiki."

Iori smiled nonchalantly: "Now that things are clear, it's easier to resolve. Rukongai is a bit troublesome, but it just requires a little more effort to clean it up."

"Hmm... I didn't expect Sumari's obsession to be so deep."

Looking at the pile of ashes, Kuchiki Ginryo shook his head: "The 46th Chamber issued a ban on Sumeru destroying the research because of the backlash from the Baku Yao Blade to its wielder and its extremely unstable performance. This was not a bad thing in itself. It's better to abandon such an evil technology as soon as possible... Sigh!"

"This could be the curse of the Tapir Blade."

"what?"

Both Kuchiki Ginrei and Shihouin Yoruichi showed surprised expressions upon hearing Iori's words.

"curse?"

"Although I don't have much information, I found that this guy's mental state is very abnormal during our contact just now. It's not just the hysteria of impending defeat, but more like he's being controlled by something, like a fanatic... I think the root cause of all this is the Mo Yao Blade."

Yinling fell into deep thought: "You mean that besides absorbing the wielder's spiritual power, the Moyao Blade also affects their spirit?"

"The growth process of the Mo Yao Dao is, to put it bluntly, parasitizing the user and using the user as nourishment to supply itself."

I don't think anyone who is parasitized by such biological weapons will have a good end. After being fed again and again, the integrity of their soul will inevitably be destroyed, like an old wound that keeps reopening...

The sword will gradually grow stronger, but the wielder will slowly become an empty shell, eventually turning into a puppet of the sword. The 'powerful force' they feel is merely an illusion created by the sword.

For them, giving up the Tapir Blade meant giving up its power and denying their past lives—this idea, under the influence of the Tapir Blade, became an obsession.